Biotech
Human history has been all but defined by death and disease, plague and pandemic. Advancements in 20th century medicine changed all of that. Now advancements in 21st century medicine promise to go even further. Could we bring about an end to disease? Reverse aging? Give hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind? The answer may be yes. And soon.
Featured
The next era of psychedelics may be precision-designed states of consciousness
A look inside Mindstate Design Labs’ effort to design drugs that reliably produce specific states of consciousness.
What is The Great Progression: 2025 to 2050?
We have a historic opportunity to harness AI and other transformative technologies in order to make a much better world in the next 25 years.
Progress happens because solutions create new problems to solve
Solutionism means fully accepting what’s in front of us and enthusiastically stepping up to meet the challenge.
Psychedelics & Mental Health
How to reclaim meaning in a changing world
What if the barrier to a fulfilled life isn’t technology, it’s culture?
The exciting research that may cure Parkinson’s
GeneCode is developing a drug it hopes won’t just alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms but also protect and restore patient’s neural health.
Biohacking
We’re able to create new creatures through gene editing. What’s stopping us?
The question isn’t whether we can sculpt new life. The question is what comes next.
Boosted Breeding and beyond: 3 tech trends that could end world hunger
A world without hunger is possible, and the development and deployment of new farming technologies could be one key to manifesting it.
New AI generates CRISPR proteins unlike any seen in nature
An AI that generates CRISPR proteins is opening the door to gene editors with capabilities beyond what we’ve found in nature.
Ray Kurzweil explains how AI makes radical life extension possible
Life expectancy gains in developed countries have slowed in recent decades, but AI may be poised to transform medicine as we know it.
Vaccines
Personalized cancer vaccines are having a moment
Personalized cancer vaccines were a recurring theme at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in 2024.
The threat of avian flu — and what we can do to stop it
Avian flu is infecting cows on US dairy farms, and now a person has caught it — but new research could help us avoid a bird flu pandemic.
One shot recreates younger immune systems, in mice
An antibody treatment designed to revitalize an aging immune system delivers “surprising” results in elderly mice.
More
Surgery robot outperforms humans at “keyhole surgery”
Johns Hopkins’ autonomous surgery robot, STAR, performed a tricky keyhole surgery on live pigs better than a human surgeon could.
“BioDome” triggers near-complete limb regeneration in frogs
A new limb regeneration treatment allowed adult African clawed frogs to regrow near-complete functional legs following amputation.
Gene therapy shows promise at treating severe form of epilepsy
A new Dravet syndrome treatment that targets genes could help extend the lives of people with the rare, but severe form of epilepsy.
Harm reduction vending machines are coming to New York
New York City has announced a pilot program installing public health vending machines with overdose drugs and clean needles.
Mark Cuban launches online pharmacy to cut drug prices
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has launched an online pharmacy designed to cut the cost of generic drugs by as much as 99%.
Ketamine therapy may help former drinkers stay abstinent
A new study has found evidence that ketamine, combined with therapy, can help people with alcohol addiction abstain longer.
Are stem cells about to cure baldness?
Researchers have reprogrammed stem cells to successfully grow human hair on animals, hinting at a potential cure for baldness.
Pig kidneys transplanted into body of brain-dead man
A brain-dead man was the recipient of two pig kidneys — a groundbreaking transplant that could help bring the organ shortage to an end.
Beet juice “blood” is a potent way to kill mosquitoes
Molecular Attraction plans to kill mosquitoes transmitting malaria by tricking them into drinking beet juice “blood” laced with toxins.
Scientists discover possible precursor to a Parkinson’s drug
Scientists have optimized a peptide known to prevent the “protein misfolding,” that causes Parkinson’s disease. This could be a precourser to a disease treatment.
You can finally order free COVID-19 tests online
Every American household can now request four free COVID-19 tests from the U.S. government using a newly launched website.
Morning glories may be a source of new psychedelics and medicines
Researchers have found that the symbiotic relationship between a fungus and a morning glory holds the potential for new psychedelic compounds and medicines.
Surgeons transplant pig heart into Maryland man
A pig heart is now beating in the chest of a man in Maryland, marking a huge step forward for xenotransplantation research.
Here is how your brain understands one voice in a crowd
Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center have discovered fresh insight into how the brain might deliberately hear one speaker while shutting out or ignoring another.
Traditional Thai cannabis cooking is back on the menu
Cannabis cooking has long simmered in Thailand. With the ruling junta’s new drug policies, the traditional dish is now making its way onto restaurant plates.
Researchers are testing neural stimulation as a long COVID treatment
Small pilot trials of two different types of external electrical brain stimulation suggest the technique may work as a long COVID treatment.
Researchers find a new target for a universal flu vaccine: the “anchor”
There’s a new target in the battle for a universal flu vaccine: the “anchor,” a part of the virus’ proteins less likely to mutate.
What HIV & Amish DNA can tell us about staying healthy longer
Northwestern University has launched a new longevity research center where scientists will look for ways to combat biological aging.
India authorizes “world’s COVID-19 vaccine,” created in Texas
India has just become the first nation to authorize a cheap and easy to manufacture new COVID-19 vaccine called Corbevax.
HIV prevention injection approved by FDA
The FDA has approved Apretude, an HIV prevention injection that replaces daily PrEP pills with a single shot every 60 days.
Special Collection
Collection
The Science of Death
Explore the journey from life to death and beyond. Near-death experiences, death doulas, digital immortality, and more – join us for a thoughtful exploration of one life’s most intriguing and inevitable phenomena with stories from the frontlines of death.
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